Franciscan University defends deviance course against critics
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A Franciscan University of Steubenville course description that lists homosexuality as deviant behavior has drawn critical attention from the only social work accreditation council in the U.S.
Franciscan University said its “Deviant Behavior” social work class – which takes its description from a standard public university textbook – is intended to “help students learn how to better serve and assist future clients.”
The course has drawn hostile media attention after members of an unofficial Facebook group of gay and lesbian alumni asked the school to change the course description.
Currently, the class description reads: “The behaviors that are primarily examined are murder, rape, robbery, prostitution, homosexuality, mental illness and drug use.”
Gregory Gronbacher, a 1990 graduate of Franciscan University who is a member of the group, told National Public Radio he thinks that the course description puts gay students “in the same category as murderers.”
He told NBC News he thinks the school’s administrators “mean well” but “live within a bubble.”
“If you live in that sort of intellectual isolation where gay people are hidden, it’s easy to wander down that path where gay people are rapists and murderers – that scary ‘other,’” he said.
Gronbacher said he was a serious Catholic in college and went on to become a philosophy and theology professor. He said he left the Catholic Church in part because of its stance on homosexuality, NBC News says.
In response, the university’s Sept. 4 statement affirmed its adherence to Catholic teaching that homosexual persons are to be treated with “respect, compassion, and sensitivity” and that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.”
Franciscan University’s social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, but the course description has prompted comment from Steven Holloway, director of the council’s office of accreditation. [More]
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29 Comments
Tony, in your concern to be charitable to homosexuals, you have lost all objectivity, and endorce their lifestyle. I can love the Alcoholic as a person and show him/her respect but I must accept that they cannot drink alcohol. The Alcoholic trys to show society that he/she can drink like everyone else and kills thems trying; or they accept that they are not normal drinkers and live. You are a rescurer and think we all are the same. So many of us are born with some __________. we all struggle for acceptence and love. And are all love by God with our inperfections and brokenness.
Joseph Francis I’m afraid that we don’t yet know or understand fully the dynamics of homosexualtiy to either condone it or reject it.
We don’t know why people are homosexual, we don’t know what causes it. Just as the Chruch has overstepped it bounds in the Gallelo case I suggest that the church might be oversteeping its bounds in the matter of homosexuality.
Notice that I have cushioned my response with words like, “might be” The truth is I don’t have the answers, you don’t have all the answers and neither does the church.
We are not talking about addictive behavior here JF but rather and orientation at the core of who the person is before God.
Tony — your 11:57 A.M. post has not been established to be the case. The gay lobby wants you to believe that reparative therapy does not work, and therefore those with same-sex attractions just need to accept who they are in their gayness. I contend the opposite — that there is NOT ONE behavior that ever has been shown to be inexorably driven by genetics or prenatal factors — NOT ONE. I have issued a challenge to Dr. Dolan, who identifies herself as a clinical psychologist, to defend her position that sexual orientation is not changeable; not surprisingly, she has not taken me up on my challenge, as I promised to whip her butt and embarrass her if she did so. I made those promises because I wanted to goad her into debating the issue with me; but, since she is a woman without the testosterone and warrior-nature of a man, she apparently can’t be so goaded. So, again, I challenge ANYONE to debate me on this issue. Again, there is NOT ONE behavior (e.g., any mental illness or any other behavior) that EVER has been shown to be influenced exclusively by genetic factors. Choice ALWAYS must be factored into the equation with regard to final outcome.
Jim, you are very much like the parent who looking at his son in a parade concludes that everyone is out of step except his son.
You are out of state with the whole Medical and psychiatric communities, not only in the USA but in the world as well.
Yes, Tony, but do you realize that the only reason homosexuality was declassified as a mental disorder is becuase the gays pressured the psychiatrists to delete homosexuality from the list of mental disorders, and the psychiatrists (most of whom are atheists — this is an empirically established fact) didn’t have the moral or human courage to resist their disgusting demands.
We were created as human beings with the blessing of free will and intellect which can be used to make decisions. As human beings our ability to choose can overcome circumstances,including environmental and biologic. We can choose and we can surrender. We can follow God’s perfect will or our own failings — such choices demand character, inner strength and grace. We can fail or succeed but the choice is ours. Even in free will, choices are not without consequences especially outside of God’s perfect will.
Right on, Ned — thank you for your post and the strength of your faith and your fidelity to the Will of God.
By my understanding, ANY good definition of deviant behavior must be “that behavior which differs from the norm.”
A course on the American Sociological Association website defines deviant behavior as “behavior that elicits a strong negative reaction from others.” A Wise Geek states, “Deviant behavior is behavior which does not adhere to widely-accepted social or cultural norms.” “The first step in understanding deviant behavior is the study of cultural and social norms. Norms vary widely across cultures…”
Are all cultures the same? Would you expect norms in a strict Catholic culture to be the same as in a Show Business culture? Would homosexuality deviate from the norm in a strict Muslim culture? The definition does not judge right or wrong, only deviation from the norm.
That’s right, Don_E, and there’s the rub — the real issue is NOT does it deviate from a sub-cultural norm, but rather does it deviate from God’s perfect Will.
The course also puts prostitutes in the same class as “murderers.” Some desperate women get involved in this out of desperation for a time. They are the ones that society has “murdered.” Or, maybe they are referring to politicians?
That is a really scary place – stay far, far away!
And this from a university run by the same order from which came Fr. Mychal Judge, hero of 9/11. Sad.
The Franciscans that teach at FU are Third Order Regular the Order Miychal Judge belongs to are the Franciscans of Holy Name Province NYC.
How interesting that the Vatican continues to regard GLBT as a “deviation” when the vast majority of knowledgeable professionals abandoned that particular designation, and quite some time ago at that!
Perhaps if the folks at Franciscan U, and the Vatican too, try to understand that the people they call “deviants” and “disordered” are also living, breathing human beings, or that “priestly pedophilia” IS a disorder, then maybe we could all lighten up, as it were.
Left handedness is a deviation from the norm. Will The university claim that it is deviant behavior to write and lead with ones left hand? Are left handed people intrinsically disordered?
Tony — question for you — are those who prefer gay sex intrinsically disordered? I await your reply.
I think the church says that homosexual ACTS are intrisicly disordered, I’m not that sure if that includes the inclination itself.
I do know the church teaches that the homosexual person ought to be treated with dignity and respect and love.
Tony — the Church teaches that same-sex attractions are disordered (but not sinful if not acted on in body or mind). But that was not my question to you. My question to you — are those with same-sex attractions intrinsically disordered?
To clarify my post to you, Tony — I’m not asking you what the Church teaches about same-sex attractions — I know what the Church teaches. I’m asking YOU what YOU think about same-sex attractions — are they deviant or not?
It would seam that homosexuality is no moe deviant than Being left handed. I think homosexual acts maybe deviant for a stright person but maybe not for a gay person.
Tony — back to my 4:29 P.M. post, which asks if you think those who prefer gay sex are intrinsically disordered: I’ll take it from your 11:25 P.M. reply that you do not think homosexuals are intrinsically disordered. Is that a correct understanding of your position? It seems you are saying, in relationship to themselves and their desires, the gay person is not disordered. But are you also saying with reference to God’s intention and moral law their desires and acts are not disordered? That is the critical question. A simple “yes” or “no” would be preferred as an answer.
Some questions Jim require a more thoughtful response than a hard yes or no. And I will not be trapped into a corner by you or anyone else into a yes or no answer.
And the reason you won’t answer with a simple yes or no, Tony, is exactly for the reason you state — because you will be trapped into your position, a position that cannot be defended. I’ll be happy to be “trpaaed” into my position, because my position IS defensible. Just think about it, Tony — if you don’t want to be “trapped” into your position, what does that say about your position? I too would not want to be trapped into a bad position.
Jim, look at how the church got trapped into the Galelio thing and now is apologizing.
Tony — regardless of the Galileo issue, we are talking about you. It is possible, you know, for both the Church (with regard to their handling of Galileo) and you to be wrong. So, let’s stay focused — you don’t want to be trapped into your position because it can’t effectively be defended. Somewhere in your gut, you sense this, and this don’t want to marry yourself too closely to your position. My contention remains — your view of homosexuality is incorrect. So, to defend yourself against this charge of mine, you need to clearly state if you believe homosexual desires are disordered. So again, a simple “yes” or “no” will suffice. Here’s how your answer back to me can look — (a) yes, Jim, I believe homosexual desires are disordered; or (b) no, Jim, I do not believe homosexual desires are disordered. It must be one or the other, Tony. I’m not afraid to clearly state my position (that homosexual desires are disordered) and defend it.
Come on Jim, we have to define our terms better including what we mean by deviant. Are we speking of deviant behavior in the culture of America, the culture of the Roman Chruch and or so many variants.
Tony — let’s define deviant this way — are homosexual sex and homosexual desires deviant from God’s moral law, not just for you and me and other heterosexuals, but for people who identify themselves as gay? So, we’re defining deviant as deviant from the moral law.